Afghan forces handed over only the gate at Angoor Ada

SHARAN (Pajhwok): Residents of Barmal district of southeastern Paktika province say Pakistani paramilitary forces have handed over to Afghan forces only the gate at the Angoor Ada border crossing and remain in control of other military facilities.

On May 21, the Pakistan army handed over the border crossing facility to Afghan authorities at Angoor Ada, which straddles both sides of the boundary between the two countries.

Barmal district residents in the Angoor Ada area say the Pakistani militia forces had only handed over the gate to the Afghan forces and other facilities remain with them.

One of the residents, Noor Wali, said: “On three sides of the gate, there are Pakistanis who have built military installations. Only the gate is with the Afghans.”

A resident of Border village, Mubariz Afghan, also said the Afghan forces had been handed over only the gate. He said keeping security of the gate was a difficult task.

He said the Afghan forces sometimes shut the gate and the move resulted in increased prices of commodities.

Another resident of the district, Barat Khan Wazir, said when the border crossing facility was handed over to the Afghans, local residents were not informed about it.

He said previously local residents would keep security in their areas and the Pakistani forces had been unable to advance, but now they had built concrete structures.

Tribal elder in Barmal district Haji Asad said the Afghan government should destroy the border gate. “If we recognize the gate, Pakistan will think the Afghans have recognized the Durand Line.”

A security official in Angoor Ada area also acknowledged that only the gate had been handed over to the Afghan forces.

“After the gate was handed over to the Afghans, it created many problems because it divided families who now contact each other over the phone and cannot meet.”

Paktika provincial council secretary Nimatullah Babri also confirmed residents’ account and said Pakistan should hand over all installations to the Afghans.